Everything You Need to Know About Bus Fleet Electrification: The Latest from HDR’s Experts Talk

Everything You Need to Know About Bus Fleet Electrification

OMAHA, Neb. — Converting to all-electric bus fleets can help get us closer to a zero emission future, but the process is complicated. The conversion affects everything from infrastructure and operations to workforce development, and it often requires forging a new relationship with the local utility company. Meanwhile, battery technology is changing rapidly, so what isn’t feasible today could be possible tomorrow.

HDR’s Harpal Kapoor has been through it, both in executive management and as a consultant, and he knows how to successfully electrify a fleet. In HDR’s latest Experts Talk interview, Kapoor draws from more than four decades of experience to explain how agencies can develop a holistic road map for their fleet conversion efforts.

“Understanding the technology and its gaps in the early stages is the first step — it all comes back to the road map,” he writes. “This road map should cover all aspects of the process, including an analysis of the expected routes (length, gradients, number of stops, etc.), ambient temperatures, expected passenger loads and other data to characterize the parameters under which an electric vehicle needs to operate.”

Read the whole interview here. The article is also available to download as a PDF and can be republished on request.

HDR’s Experts Talk interview series shines a light on various aspects of transportation infrastructure design and delivery. Each subject matter expert offers unique expertise and insights about new and ongoing trends, emerging technologies and the human side of infrastructure.

About HDR

For over a century, HDR has partnered with clients to shape communities and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Our expertise spans more than 10,000 employees in more than 200 locations around the world — and counting. Our engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services bring an impressive breadth of knowledge to every project. Our optimistic approach to finding innovative solutions defined our past and drives our future. For more information, please visit www.hdrinc.com.